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Acclaimed traveller and canoeist passes away at 74

Aleksander Doba, a Polish canoeist and traveller who was the first man to kayak through the Atlantic Ocean with only the power of his own muscles, died on Monday at the age of 74.

We are very sorry to announce that on February 22, the great canoeist Aleksander Doba, has passed away. He died a traveller’s death, while climbing the highest peak of Africa – Kilimanjaro, which was a fulfillment of his dream. A grieving wife, sons, daughters-in-law and granddaughters,” Mr Doba’s family wrote on social media.



Mr Doba became famous in 2010 when, then 65 years old, he set a record for the longest open-water crossing ever undertaken by a kayaker. Travelling from South Africa to Brazil, he set the record at 99 days. Mr Doba was the first person to cross the Atlantic ocean relying on muscle-power alone, without the help of either sail or engine.


His second trip took him across the Atlantic from Lisbon, Portugal to Florida. Mr Doba finished his third transatlantic journey in September 2017 after paddling from New York to north-western France.

In 2015, Mr Doba was chosen the National Geographic Adventurer of the Year 2014.

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